Top Chef Canada’s Infamous ‘Beaver Balls’

Home version of Nicole Gomes 'Beaver Balls' from Top Chef CanadaWondering what ‘beaver balls’ are? Great question! A few weeks ago on Top Chef Canada, the remaining cheftestants were challenged to create ‘Canada’s new dish’. While the majority of the pack went with some sort of variation on a slider, Calgary-based competitor Nicole Gomes opted to meld humour with deliciousness and and her ‘Beaver Balls’ were born.

Basically, these tasty little critters are a Asian-inspired pork meatball, rolled in rice, then steamed or baked and served with a maple-soy dipping sauce. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, I can verify that they are indeed delicious, as I made a batch at home just a few weeks ago.

Beaver Balls T-Shirt

This unique take on a pork meatball has gotten a lot of attention from Food Network Canada viewers and even spawned a humorous t-shirt (shown above, photo credit: Avenue Magazine) designed by Canadian food-centric clothing company, Food On Your Shirt. Do you like beaver balls? Well, now you can wear them too!

Looking for a Nicole-approved ‘Beaver Balls’ recipe to try in your own home? Then head over to FoodNetwork.ca and try this one out this week. Guaranteed to be a hit with the family!